A portable optical spectroscopy device is disclosed for analyzing gas samples and/or for measurement of species concentration, number density, or column density. The device includes a measuring chamber with the gas sample to be analyzed, a light source with at least one laser diode for emitting a laser beam along a light path running through the measuring chamber at least in certain regions, means for modulating the wavelength of the light beam emitted by the light source, and an optical detector device having a first optical detector and at least one second optical detector. At least a part of the light emitted by the laser diode is detected after the light has passed through the measuring chamber m-times, and at least a part of the light emitted by the laser diode is detected with the at least one second optical detector after the light has passed through the measuring chamber n-times, where n>m applies.

A gas sensor comprising: a substrate; a grating array disposed on top of the substrate and comprising grates; and voids defined by the grates and configured to confine gas molecules for absorption of light and analysis. A method of gas sensing comprising: generating first light; converting the first light into second light using grates of a grating array; resonating the second light within the grating array; confining gas molecules in voids defined by the grates; and causing the gas molecules to absorb the second light within the voids.

Provided herein are methods for spectrophotometric detection of bacterial endotoxin in a fluid sample, wherein such detection can occur at low concentrations of contamination, and uses systems that permit offline or inline and optionally continuous assessment. Also disclosed are methods for identifying a particular bacterial source of an endotoxin in a fluid sample.

Systems and methods for skewed basis set fitting may include obtaining measured absorption data indicative of an amount of absorption of light by a sample gas at each of multiple frequencies, determining an absorption dependent cavity time constant indicative of a skew to the measured absorption data caused by light reflections within a cavity in which the sample gas is contained, obtaining reference absorption data including basis sets indicative of reference amounts of light absorbed by each of multiple gases at each of the multiple frequencies, skewing the reference absorption data based on the absorption dependent cavity time constant to generate skewed reference absorption data, and fitting the measured absorption data to the skewed reference absorption data to identify an amount of at least one constituent gas within the sample gas.

Provided is a gas detection apparatus which suppresses occurrences of distortions of the optical path to reduce fluctuations of the gas detection sensitivity. A gas detection apparatus 1 includes a substrate 2; a light emitting element 3 disposed in a first region 21 in a main surface 20 of the substrate 2 for emitting light; a light receiving element 4 disposed in a second region 22 in the main surface 20 of the substrate 2 for receiving the light; a light guide member 5 for guiding the light emitted by the light emitting element 3 to the light receiving element 4; and a joint member 6 joining the substrate 2 and the light guide member 5. The joint member 6 serves as a rotation axis when the light guide member 5 is displaced relative to the substrate 2.

Implementations are described herein for isolating mirrors and/or other potentially-vulnerable components of multi-pass optical systems from samples being analyzed, while mitigating interference and/or reduction in optical power. In one implementation, an apparatus may include: an optical cell with one or more passages, the one or more passages provided for introducing a sample into an interior of the optical cell for analysis and for removing the sample from the interior; a first mirror with a first reflective surface that faces the interior of the optical cell; one or more additional mirrors with one or more corresponding additional reflective surfaces that face the first reflective surface of the first mirror; and a wedge-shaped optical element positioned between the first mirror and the interior of the optical cell.

Detector data representative of an intensity of light that impinges on a detector after being emitted from a light source and passing through a gas over a path length can be analyzed using a first analysis method to obtain a first calculation of an analyte concentration in the volume of gas and a second analysis method to obtain a second calculation of the analyte concentration. The second calculation can be promoted as the analyte concentration upon determining that the analyte concentration is out of a first target range for the first analysis method.

A system and method for determining impurities in a beverage grade gas such as CO.sub.2 or N.sub.2 relies on FTIR gas analysis for measuring non-sulfur impurities as well as SO.sub.2. CO.sub.2% also can be determined. A multiplexer selects a sample gas from multiple gas samples. Conversion of reduced sulphur present in some impurities to SO.sub.2 is conducted in an oxidizing furnace. Climate control and measurements of oxygen gas impurities also can be provided.

A highly sensitive trace gas sensor based on a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser and cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy is designed to be capable of measuring sub-ppb concentrations of trace gases in real time. The broad frequency range of the multi-mode Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser spans a large number of absorption lines of the species of interest enabling multiple line integrated absorption spectroscopy which improves the sensitivity of detection. Additionally, the broad wavelength range of the laser excites a large number of cavity modes simultaneously, thereby reducing the sensor's susceptibility to vibration and thermal fluctuations making it suitable for field based monitoring applications. Using a high finesse optical cavity also enhances the sensitivity of the sensor by providing large path lengths, on the order of kilometers, in a small volume. Relatively high laser power is used to compensate for the low coupling efficiency of a broad linewidth laser to the optical cavity.

A sample cell includes an annular support surrounding a sample region. A set of reflectors of the annular support define an optical path that reflects a source beam in a sequence of alternating directions through the sample region at a plurality of different angles such that the source beam exits the set of reflectors after having passed through the sample region a plurality of times. A micro-cell is positionable in the sample region including multi-dimensionally distributed nano-pores. A slidingly adjustable lens forms part of source and detector photomixing packages.